Chanel: The Ribbon of Life

There might not be any creative director at Chanel, but there is still plenty of action judging by the house’s Ribbon of Life runway show, staged with polished precision in Paris.

 
Presented inside the Grand Palais on a cloudy Tuesday, the show marked the final day of the international runway season that began in New York on February 6, setting the stage for a striking display of Chanel’s latest collection.

Its central connecting theme was the black satin ribbon, which was much beloved by founder Coco Chanel. A ribbon was looped around each invitation, then magnified into a four-meter-wide band that snaked around the mammoth exhibition hall before spiraling 15 meters high. An inspired set design by scenographer Willo Perron.

Later, turning up in white in a semi-abstract print, the ribbon motif was used in some hyper-fresh cocktail dresses and other looks from a collection designed by Chanel’s in-house design team. The famed Paris house has signed a new creative director, Matthieu Blazy, who starts work this spring and will stage his first collection for the house in October during the next Paris ready-to-wear season.

 
Despite the absence of a creative director, one had to love the sense of humor. Even in a massive show—featuring some 2,000 guests, the season’s biggest—the standout new accessories were micro matelassé bags: tiny, bijoux-padded bags in metallic silver or black patent leather.

Meanwhile, Coco’s obsession with pearls led to all sorts of visual tricks: bandanas made of pearls, square-toed shoes with three-inch-thick pearl heels stamped with the CC logo, and a micro-micro pearl handbag that had the entire front row smiling.

 
The collection also introduced some great new wardrobe ideas. Classic Chanel jackets were revamped with just two flap pockets and bejeweled Nehru collars or cut long over miniskirts and topped with white ruffle collars—Catherine de Medici style, as Mademoiselle Chanel preferred.
 
Riffing authoritatively on house codes, the collection included total-look check wool outfits with matching sleeveless jackets, gloves, ’20s-style long skirts, black-toed shoes, and cloche hats.

 
Keeping things kicky for the evening with abstract squiggle-print cocktail dresses, as well as thoroughly chic knit beige-and-black skirts and cardigans. This marked the fifth collection Chanel presented since Virginie Viard’s departure last spring, and, if truth be told, each one has worked a little better. Whoever is quietly running the studio is clearly no design slouch.

Everything was driven by a bold soundtrack—from cerebral dance music by Canadian composer Daphni to house music heroes Faithless.

 
A flawless casting, too, with the best possible opening model, Vittoria Ceretti, in a super-anthracite wool bouclé mini coatdress finished with tulle. The momentum carried through to the grand finale with Mona Tougaard, who swept by in a multi-ruffled column tied at one shoulder with a ribbon. In her hand, a micro band, in a final visual pun.

Next stop: northern Italy for Chanel’s next cruise show in late April. Coco would doubtless have been pleased by her brand’s remarkable resilience.